The Portland daily press., 1887-01-25
XLIXth CONGRESS- SECOND SESSION
SENATE.
WASHINGTON. Jan. "a.

D. III.
Gen Logan's successor. were presented and
placed ON file.
Mr.. Butler, by request introduced bill to
provide Tor the construction of steam cruis-
ing vessel of war of 20 knots speed reported
to the committee on naval affairs.
The credentials of Cushman K Davis.
senator-elect from Minnesota, were present
ed and placed on file.
The Senate bill concerning post offices of
the third class (providing they shall not be
changed into post offices of the fourth class,
Wnere the gross receipts amount to $1,000 a
year, or where the box receipts and commits
sl0ns constituting pOstmasters' cOmpensa-
ton amount to $1,000, was, on motion of Mr.
Wilson OF Iowa, taken from the calendar
and passed.
At 1.04, the Senate, on motion of Mr.. Ed
munds, proceeded to the consideration of the
Senate bill to authorize the President of the
United States to protect and defend the
rights OF American fishing vessels, Ameri-
can nshermen, American trading and other
vessels, in certain cases.
Mr.. Frye suggested to Mr.. Edmunds that
the words "also if he think proper" should
be omitted before the words authorizing the
President to deny the entry of fish from
Canada, because. that language seemed to
suggest that this prohibition would be the
last resort of the President, while in his
Frye's( judgment it would be the first re-
sort and probably the only one under the cir
cumstances.
Mr. Edmunds consented to having the
words struck out and they were stricken out
Mr.. Hoar suggested the insertion of the
words ''or unJustly vexed or harrassed there
in by the authorities thereof" He thought
the bill would be much safer If it contained
that general phraseology.
Mr.. ingalls, thought these fishing difficult
Ties must ultimately be settled either by me-
gotlatlon or by war. This measure was dis
tlnctly one of retaliation. 1t was an eye for
an eye, a tooth for tooth, a fish for a fish,
an Insult for an insult and a wrong for
wrong. lie thought it important before the
Senate was called upon to vote that commit
tee on foreign relations should advise the
Senate whether this measure was intended
to be pacific or hostile, whether it was in eff :.
feet, an invitation to negotiate or practically
declaration of war. There was no use in
Disgusting the proposition. There was
feeling of irritation the real party in inter
est being Great Britain and not Canada)
which was at any moment, If the present at
titude was continued, liable to lead to dis
content which might ripen into evaporation
and this into open hostility. 1t was, there
lore, OF very great Importance that at the
outset the Senate should understand wheth-
er the bill was in tended as a pacific or as
hostile measure. He quoted some sentences
from the report OF the committee on foreign
relations and remarked that countries had
been inundated with blood ON less provoca-
ton. The conduct Of the Dominion and of
Great Britain was sufficient to Justify and
warrant declaration of war ON the part of
the United States. 1t was a violation, not
only of treaty rights, but it showed a pur-
pose on the part of the government of Cana
da and OF Her Majesty's government to har-
rass and annoy and destroy American fish
ing interests simply for the purpose either
OF private gain or of some public advantage.
1t appeared to him that in view of these
grave allegations in the irritation and discon-
tent known to exist between the two coun-l
tries, the reporting Of measure which autho-
rized the President to enter simply on a
process OF retaliation, was hardly con-
slstent with the gravity of the situation.
IL was dangerous course to authorize the
President to continue in the same line of
conduct and policy with the inevitable result
either OF finally negotiating for the purpose
OF settling these questions or else of going to
war In the defence of rights under the treaty
OF 1918. He thought it would be better,
more in accordance with the dignity of the
subject and with the morality which ought
10 prevail among nations as among men to
declare as conviction of the Senate that
the relations between the two powers are
such as to require negotiation, and that there
should be authority not to issue letters of
marque and apprisal, but to select commits
sion to consider the subject and, if possible,
to reach some basis of understanding be-
tween Great Britain Canada and the United
States in regard to the fisheries.
Mr.. Frye said that Mr.. Ingalls, seemed to
forget that Canada was playing the same
role now which she had played twice before.
She played it for but one purpose, and that
was TO secure negotiations for reciprocal
treaties, and these reciprocal treaties had
turned out to the disadvantage of the United
States and to the advantage Of Canada He
believed it to be his duty to group the out
RACES which had been committed by Canada
Within with the last six months, and
Kansas (Mr. Ingalls, say whether or
not he thought the United States
ought to resort at once to negotiation,
Ii the President of the United States were
tomorrow to take advantage of this bill,
which would authorize him to close Ameri-
can ports against Canadian fish, that, he be-
lleyed, would end all trouble between the
United States and Canada, and Canada
would stop her outrages. Mr.. Frye pro-
ceeded to particularize many of the outrages
TO which all American. fishing vessels had
been subjected in Canadian waters. Among
them was the case Of the American vessel
which had brought into Canadian port IL
shipwrecked Canadian sailors, and had been
refused the right to purchase a barrel of
Hour to keep her crew from starvation. He
declared that the annals of history (even of
the FIJI islands, might be searched without
finding case SO brutal and soinhuman. He
also quoted the case of the Mary Ann
Grimes. an American schooner whose flag
was hauled down by Capt Quigley of the
Canadian cutter Terror All these cases. he
said, had been brought to the attention Of
the British government. That government
knew the utter inhumanity of these cases.
and knew that outrages had been committed
in violation of law as well as of good neigh
borhood. Mr.. Frye quoted from recent
statute passed by the Dominion government
in still further hostility to American fisher
men, and said that legislation had been ap-
proved by the British government. The
hope, therefore, that Great Britain would do
what was fair and just was DESTROYED. and
it might have been known that would have
been the result There was not a line. he
said, in the history of Great Britain for the
to believe that in the pursuit of
gain, in the pursuit of trade she
would ever permit the right of another
to stand in the way Of her progress.